| | | | Your baby is ready to begin moving around the house so start putting away potential hazards now! It’s a good idea to warn the grandparents and other caregivers too so that baby is never in harm’s way no matter where he/ she is. | | | What your child might do: | | | | | Physically and mentally
• Looks for something that has dropped
• Adjusts position of hand using visual control
• Sits well
• Lunges forward from sitting position to grasp an object
• Feeds himself/ herself a cracker
• Grasps sippy cup more confidently with fingers around cup
• Gets up on all fours and rocks back and forth
• May begin to crawl or shuffle bottom
Language and emotions
• Able to blow kisses and repeat act if praised
• Recognises name and other familiar sounds such as favourite music
• Begins to understand meaning of “No”
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Though your baby progresses well with the solid, he or she still needs plenty of breast milk (or formula) throughout this rapid growth stage. According to Singapore Health Promotion Board (HPB), milk is an important source of nutrient, particularly calcium. Calcium helps to build strong bones and teeth. Breast milk (or follow-on formula) is a good source of calcium and your baby needs to consume 750ml daily. Beyond 6 months of age, breast milk (or follow-on formula) alone cannot meet all nutritional requirements; that is why solid foods should be introduced to supplement breastfeeding (or follow-on formula). Once your baby is familiar with feeding from spoon, you can explore new foods with a variety of taste and textures. Some new food to try includes: • Cooked and mashed vegetables such broccoli, spinach, cabbage, turnip, onion • Ripe fruit such as peach, pear, papaya, cherry, plum • Oats, wheat, brown rice, noodles or pasta • Meat, chicken or meat alternatives like tofu, lentil or pulses • Full-fat dairy product such as natural yoghurt designed for baby As baby explores new and interesting taste and textures, cereals continue to play an integral part in his/her diet. It is important for babies to have nutritionally fortified infant cereals to ensure he/she gets the energy, vitamins and minerals he or she needs. Mix the new foods into the infant cereals to give baby interesting taste combinations. Checkout yummy recipes and creative menus for your baby at www.nestlebaby.com.sg 
Sleep Is baby having trouble sleeping? Walk him/ her around the house at bedtime, saying goodnight to each favourite object. This is both soothing and an excellent way to increase his/ her vocabulary. Ideal toys for this age • Stacking and nesting toys
• Shape-sorting toys
• Toys that encourage crawling/ standing Useful tips Although seven-month-olds are far from social animals, it’s not a bad idea to organise play dates with babies of similar age. The benefits are manifold. It can improve your child’s cognitive and emotional development. It also serves as a social zone for new parents seeking friends to exchange ideas and experiences with. | | | | | | Baby is in a busy phase now, ready to use his/ her hands for a variety of meaningful gestures. He/ she is quite the explorer now too so always keep a close eye on baby’s movements! Keep in mind that each child is different. It’s normal for babies to achieve these milestones a little later than others. Do consult your child’s paediatrician if you are worried. | | | What your child might do: | | | | | Physically and mentally
• Understands object permanence—that his/ her toys don’t disappear when hidden
• Crawls easily, even when holding an object
• Uses thumb and index finger (pincer grasp) to pick up or move toys around and also investigate small spaces
• Remembers recent events
• May attempt to stand, while holding onto a chair or table
Language and emotions
• Begins to show signs of extreme attachment to main caregiver — also called 'separation anxiety'
• Experiments with a variety of vowel and possibly, consonant sounds |
At this stage, your baby is about 8 weeks into weaning. You would have been trying out a number of new foods in your baby’s diet. Remember that breast milk (or follow-on formula) remain important in baby’s diet throughout the first year, particularly if he/ she’s a picky eater. 750ml a day of milk is the recommended daily intake for babies between 7 to 12 months of age. Plan a nutritionally balanced diet for your little one. Have a good meal plan that provides a balance of nutrients he or she needs for healthy development. Apart from calcium, iron is another essential nutrient that your baby needs. Iron forms part of the red blood cells and is involved in the cognitive development of young infants. Iron deficiency is a common nutrient deficiency among infants and young children. Without enough iron, babies become anaemic, a condition that causes tiredness and lethargy, poor health, or slower growth and development. Your baby was born with a good supply of iron, provided by you during a healthy pregnancy. As baby gets older, his/her body reserves are depleted and he/she needs to replenish the iron stored from his/her diet. The following foods are good sources of iron for your baby: • Red meat • Follow-on formula • Iron-fortified infant cereals • Green leafy vegetables Fortified infant cereals can be a good source of iron, as well as the other minerals and vitamins that infants and young children need. There are a variety of nutritious cereals available. Look for fortified infant cereals that are specially designed to match baby’s particular energy and nutritional needs at this stage. Cereals are also an effective away of introducing new foods. Try mixing in fruits that your baby hasn’t tried yet. In fact, the Vitamin C found in fresh fruits will help your baby absorb more iron. New foods to try at 8 months include: Vegetables: turnip, cucumber, garden pea, corn Fruits: watermelon, apricot, strawberries Sleep Babies at this age may wake up at night all over again. It can be frustrating for parents who have gotten used to getting some sleep at last. But be patient. Your baby will soon be getting more active and as a result, tire more easily and sleep better too. Ideal toys for this age • Toys with attachments like levers and buttons that produce sounds when pressed
• Baby-friendly snap-together toys
• Board books that encourage pointing, touching, stroking etc Useful tips Encourage your baby to get physically involved with toys. If he/she drops a toy, teach baby to lunge, reach for it or roll it to you on his/ her own. Help to show baby what happens when he/ she pushes a button or lever. These exercises will help to strengthen your child’s muscles for other physical changes to come. | | | | | | Watch out for an increasingly independent child! Your baby may move so quickly that you won’t realise he/ she is already across the room in mere seconds. You’ll also find that objects placed out of reach previously are no longer safe as baby begins pulling himself/ herself up to a standing position. | | | What your child might do: | | | | | Physically and mentally
• Sits, crawls and shuffles more easily and confidently
• Stands by pulling himself/ herself up while holding onto something
• Has more developed pincer grasp
• Shakes, bangs, drops and throws things
• Waves goodbye
• Begins to enjoy peek-a-boo and other simple games
• May walk while holding onto furniture (also called cruising)
Language and emotions
• Understands simple words and possibly even phrases
• Baby’s personality and likes and dislikes are easier to determine
• May become emotionally attached to a “security” object like a doll, plush toy or blanket
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At 9 months, your little one is getting quite skilful at picking up food with his/her hands. Mealtimes are now as much about discovery and exploratory playing as nourishment. Often picky eaters fill up on milk and then they don’t have an appetite for their solids so it’s a balancing act trying to avoid this situation. As solid food has become a larger part of your baby’s diet, it’s important to ensure a variety of foods are given. Try to choose food from each of the 4 major food groups (i.e. rice and alternatives, fruits, vegetables, meat and alternatives) everyday. The food will work together to give your baby all the essential nutrition needed for healthy growth and development. Baby will naturally prefer certain foods to others, but with your help she can learn the joy of trying new foods. Scientists have shown that some babies, who initially disliked and refused to eat a particular food, accepted it after many attempts. Thus, if the baby refuses a particular food, take a break and try again. It requires a lot of patience on your part. Do not force feed. Forcing the baby to eat can make the baby anxious and it can be stressful for you too. If, however, you continue to have difficulty in feeding your baby, you need to consult your doctor Tips to adjust to her evolving tastes: • Be patient while feeding your baby. Give her time to chew and swallow. Rushing may make her anxious. • Stay patient. If baby rejects a food, try again the next day by preparing it in a different way. It may take up to 8 times before he/she accepts something new. • Add interest to his/her food. Use colourful culinary or put more effort in the presentation of food.(e.g. combination of more colourful vegetables in the preparation) Encouraging baby to eat at the family table enables him/her to understand that mealtimes aren’t only about chewing and swallowing. Gradually he/she’ll grasp her role at the table, and that it’s a time to enjoy bonding with the rest of the family. Most babies go through a period of messy eating. Try using a bib with a lip to catch spills. If you keep a damp cloth on the table for accidents, you won’t have to go running to find one each time there’s a mess. For baby’s drinking cup, avoid spills by making sure it has a snug-fitting lid, two handles, a small spout, and a wide base. More on menu planning ideas and yummy recipes : Ideal toys for this age • Toys that encourage standing/ cruising
• Role-play toys such as toy telephones
• Toys that encourage language development Useful tips Speak to baby often to encourage speech. Reserve “No” for situations that really demand it. This ensures that your baby develops the self-confidence and independence to try something new on his/ her own. | | |
